Your “residual functional capacity” (RFC) is Social Security’s evaluation of your basic physical and mental capabilities. Social Security uses your RFC to determine what tasks and jobs you can still do despite health problems.
How Social Security Decides if Texans Can Work, or if They Qualify for Disability
Residual functional capacity (RFC) is an evaluation for Social Security Disability benefits of the basic tasks you can do despite your health problems.
This measurement is a big part of how Social Security determines whether you should receive disability benefits. Your RFC looks at the fundamental skills needed for most jobs.
If a claims examiner sees your RFC assessment and believes you have an ability to work, even with your health issues, you won’t win benefits.
Have a Dallas disability lawyer help you get an accurate RFC assessment for your Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application.
Morgan Weisbrod disability lawyers can help you describe your health struggles and daily limitations to your doctor—and to the Social Security Administration (SSA)—in the correct way to make a strong claim for disability benefits.
We’ve been helping Texans get access to life-changing benefits for more than 50 years. We know the Social Security system inside out. We only handle disability cases.
It’s difficult to win benefits, even when you understand RFC and what Social Security looks for in a claim. Our Texas disability lawyers help you from the very first step.
You won’t pay an attorney fee until you win benefits.
How Social Security Disability Evaluates Residual Functional Capacity (RFC)
Both your physical and mental capabilities are important when Social Security tries to determine what kind of work you could still do, even after you report medical conditions that force you off your most recent job.
In any assessment of your residual functional capacity, Social Security will want answers to questions like these:
- How long can you stand or sit?
- How far can you walk?
- Can you stoop, crouch or crawl?
- Can you type or perform other actions with your hands that require fine control?
- How much can you lift and carry?
- Can you maintain concentration?
- Can you understand and apply information?
- Can you perform tasks on schedule?
- Can you interact with others, like coworkers, bosses or the public?
- Can you manage your own emotions?
- Can you adapt to changes in your work setting?
The answers to these questions give Social Security an idea about what kinds of work responsibilities you can take on despite your health impairments—or whether working really is out of the question.
The more you can handle, the heavier work your RFC rating will say you can do.
As you get into more strenuous levels of work, the harder it’s going to be to qualify for Social Security Disability benefits.
Get a FREE evaluation of your disability claim from Morgan Weisbrod.
How Does Social Security Determine What Kind of Work I Can Do?
Your RFC will classify you as capable, or not, of different types of work.
It looks at mental and physical exertion and breaks down work into five broad categories:
1) Sedentary work
- Lifting no more than 10 pounds at a time
- Walking and standing are required occasionally
2) Light work
- Lifting no more than 20 pounds at a time
- Could require a good deal of walking, standing, pulling and pushing
3) Medium work
- Lifting no more than 50 pounds at a time
4) Heavy work
- Lifting no more than 100 pounds at a time
- Frequent carrying of objects weighing up to 50 pounds
5) Very heavy work
- Lifting objects weighing more than 100 pounds
- Frequent lifting or carrying objects weighing 50 pounds or higher
These classifications often present the biggest challenge when applying for disability benefits.
This isn’t just about showing that you can’t do your current job. If Social Security thinks that you can do any type of work, including light work that is less demanding than your previous jobs, you could be denied disability benefits.
It’s a good idea to work with an experienced Texas disability attorney who knows how to make the argument that you can’t work any job at all.
How Our Dallas Disability Lawyers Help with Your RFC Assessment
You aren’t required to use a Dallas Social Security Disability lawyer when you apply for benefits, but trying to win benefits on your own is difficult.
Only around 25-30% of initial disability claims get approved in Texas. These benefits can make a big difference in your life, so you should give yourself the best chance of winning.
That means working with an experienced disability attorney.
Your lawyer can guide you in the process of getting your residual functional capacity measured.
The RFC process can be tricky. Your doctor may be the one who conducts your RFC review, but doctors often don’t know what Social Security is looking for in a disability claim.
Your disability lawyer can:
- Guide you in talking to your doctor about your RFC
- Identify all the medical evidence that backs up your SSDI or SSI claim
- Help you fill out SSA application forms
- Help you avoid common mistakes that result in delays or denials
- Answer any questions you have about this process
- Support your appeal if you get denied disability benefits
- Represent you at your disability hearing in front of an administrative law judge
Perhaps the most important thing that our Texas disability attorneys can do is help you tell your story.
If you’ve been living with your health issues for months or years, you’ve been working through the pain for a long time. You may downplay what you’re going through because it’s become your new normal.
A disability lawyer can offer a fresh perspective, bring out details of your situation that you might not think about, and help you effectively explain what you’re experiencing and why you deserve SSDI or SSI benefits.
We’ve helped thousands of people in Dallas, Tyler, Irving, Fort Worth and across the state of Texas when they needed monthly disability payments and health care coverage that could get them back on steady financial ground.
Now we want to help you make your case to the Social Security Administration.
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